Never Knew
by Adara Tanith
Summary: I stare at him, mesmerized as he lift his shaky hand to wipe the trailing down from my right cheek, murmuring, 'I'm so sorry.' And being a love sick am I, I simply smiled, whispering: 'It's alright.' Complete
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: Hello fans! How are you? Here's another thing that sprung upon me and seize me, forcing me to do it. Its called _Never Knew._ Hope you'll like it.**

**Dated, Created, Written and Completed: 10th of December, 2014.**

**Time Duration of completion: 3 hours. (Approx.)**

**Total words: 3,851**

**Author: Adara Tanith**

**Story: Never Knew.**

**Pairing: H/Hr**

**Fandom: Harry Potter. (Movies)**

**Edited or Beta-ed: Yes and no.**

**Email address: Tripathiangel(zero in numeric) at the rate dot com. **

**Disclaimer: I don't owe anything.**

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><p><strong>~*<span>1<span>*~**

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><p>I stare at him, feeling so numb.<p>

But he didn't seem to notice it.

Because he was in too deep with her.

Staring at her with an unmasked adoration and fondness.

Never knowing what is he doing to me.

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><p><strong>AN: So short? I know...**

**Yet, I hope you'll stick around and enjoy it.**

**Review please, if possible. Thank you for reading it.**

**Favorite it. Put me on alert. Tell me, and hit me with your best short. I'm waiting over here.**

**Much love,**

**Adara Tanith**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again! How are you? Yeah, I'm kind of leaving post after post. My aim is to complete this story in two hours. Yet, I hope you'll enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't owe anything**

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><p><strong>~*<span>2<span>*~**

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><p>I watched him as he chattered happily along with her, looking so happy and carefree for once, and I sighed heavily, feeling the exact opposite of him.<p>

So sad and careworn.

"Why don't you tell him, Hermione?"

I felt my lips curling in a sad, wistful smile at his comment. Before I slowly turned in my seat to face a pitiful and concerned looking redhead.

_Ron._

I sighed again, suddenly feeling all drained before I shook my head at him sadly.

"I can't," I said, my brown eyes seeking his blue ones. Before my eyes - out of habit - drifted towards the source of my distress, and end up sighing again. "Besides, I'm not worth it. For him, at least."

Ron tsk in disapproval before he took one of my cold hands in his warm ones.

"Oh, c'mon, 'Mione." he chided gently. Tugging on my hand slightly, he continues, "You know it's not true. He do cares for you." I give a short, hollow bark of a laugh at his comment.

"He is happy, Ron." I murmur softly, my eyes slowly and unwilling drifting from his chuckling form to look into Ron's solemn blue ones. "For once and for all, he is happy," I shrugged lightly before I duck my head, and muttered to my lap, "That's all I ask for him."

"But are you?"

Tears prickled at the corner of my eyes, and I swallowed hard.

"If he is," I whispered in a low tone, my voice shaky. "then I am." I finished in a firm, stubborn tone.

"But -"

I shook my head at him, adamant to put a full stop on this absurd conversation.

"No, Ron." I said sternly, still shaking my head before I turned to shot him a daring look. "Drop it. It doesn't matter."

I was happy, however, when he complied with my wishes when we hear someone's coming from in front of us.

But I instantly freeze on my spot when I noticed who it was?

"Hey, guys!"

Ginny bounded over to our side, and leaving his the moment we were within hearing range. And try as I might, I cannot stop my eyes when they swivel around and meet his eyes.

He smiled when I caught his eyes.

My breath hitch up in the throat, and suddenly, I wanted to get out of this place - that too, as soon as possible.

I bolted from my seat just as Ginny was about to take her seat in front of him, and I notice when she frowned at my unexpected sudden movement.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" she asked me politely, looking sincerely curious and puzzle at my abruptly tense posture.

My eyes - which have found the structure of the table top in front of me quite fascinating thing in the whole world - hesitantly lifted them to meet her eyes.

"Library!" I blurted out the first possible thing that popped up in my head, and was relieved when she simply nodded in understanding, looking highly amused.

"Leave it to you to abandon morning breakfast for a Library tour," she joked, and made both the presented parties to chuckle in humor.

But I only lowered my eyes to its previous position as I quickly maneuvered my way out of my seat, blushing in half shame and half embarrassment.

I didn't bid them farewell when I sharply turned around for the nearest exit, feeling oddly at edge and on the verse of tears.

_Goddamn it._ I thought with a tint of frustration. _Why can't things be so easy and unruffled? Why does everything have to be so befuddled?_

"Hermione, wait!" A voice called out from behind me, and momentarily freezing me dead on the spot. My heart rate spiked at the tone of his voice, so deep, rough, slightly soft and just . . . _him._

But I snapped out of it - whatever trance it was, and just continued to walk, trying to pretend as if I didn't hear him.

_It's for the best,_ I told myself. _The lesser of the two evils, yes._

But he didn't seem to be deterring in his quest in the slightest.

Because the next thing I knew, he had caught up with me, and easily keeping up with my brusque pace. Bugger.

"Hey there," he greeted me tentatively, his voice somewhat hesitant as if I might round upon him.

Not wanting to explain my weird behavior to him, I decided to play dumb.

Mock-gasping, I jumped slightly in my position, and whipped around to look up at him with a surprise, confused state.

"Oh, hey, Harry!" I greeted him with a mock-breathless tone, turning back to look at the corridor, and blowing out a nosy exhale. "God Harry, you could really use some kind of bell with you." I told him seriously, as I lifted my right hand to run light circles around the area near my heart, mock-wincing.

I hear him chuckling in the earnest.

"Well," he drawls. "It's really not my fault that you're unexceptionally unobservant." He teases me.

This time, I gasp out aloud, offended.

"Hey!" I protested loudly, glaring.

But he only laughed, highly entertained and amused for my liking.

"Anyways," he said while I huffed in annoyance and sped up my walk, angry at his interruption and furious at myself to let him get on my nerves like this - when I was in a vulnerable state. But I quickly found myself tagged along with a still chuckling form of a boy - who seems amused at my behavior. "I'd been meaning to ask you something, but you completely sidetracked me." He continued to chuckle, and I grew more annoyed at him.

"Harry?"

"Hm?"

"Do you have multiple personality disorder?"I asked him severely. Looking up and meeting his dancing emerald eyes behind his round rimmed glasses.

Again, he chuckled. "You're doing it again." he reminded me.

I grumbled incoherently under my breath and looked away from him, suddenly self-conscious around him.

And so small and vulnerable.

I sighed for what seems like the tenth time of the day. "What do you want from me, Potter?"

"Ah, well," From the corner of my eyes, I see as he lifted a hand to run it through his messy, beautiful jet black hair, uncertain and sheepish all of a sudden.

And I melted.

"What is it?" I ask, stopping dead on track and facing him properly.

"I, uh . . . it's - umm?" he stammered, coloring as he tried to grope for words.

I don't know what possesses me to do. But I took a step forward and lifted my hand hesitantly towards him. He noticed my moments before his eyes snapped down at me, looking curious, nervous and perplexed. Swallowing hard, I let my hand drift up. . . and up . . . and up . . . with my heart going all thump . . . thump . . . and thump . . . before it reach it destination.

My cold fingers slowly curled around his lukewarm ones, and lifted them from its clenched pose around the locks of his hair.

"Don't." Was I said before I made a mistake of looking at his eyes.

Instantly, I felt a chill run my spine, my cheeks begin to heat up, my heart skipping a beat or two before it begins to thud in an uneven rate when I notice how . . . _softly_ was he staring down at me. How much . . ._ warmth_ they posses.

And how did it make me feel all tingly and elated.

_And how sappy are you sounding, no Mione?_ My inner voice butt in, and I was instantly jerked out of the reverie. I quickly stepped back, my hand drawing back so fast as if he'd burned me.

"S-sorry!" I stumbled over my apology, my eyes slightly wide as I noticed how . . ._ smouldering_ his eyes were. _Oh god._ I moaned inwardly. _What did I do? "_Yo-you were sa-saying?" I gulped lightly, getting genuinely scared by how his eyes were looking at me.

"Right." said he slowly, still staring at me with his . . . unusual gaze. I averted my eyes hastily when I find that I couldn't meet his gaze any longer. God, isn't it so nerve-wrecking? "I'd been meaning to ask you," I hear him speaking deliberately, as if choosing his words very carefully before he continues, "about Ginny."

And whatever I'd been feeling until then, it went all puff in the air.

Slowly, so slowly, I lifted my head to meet his now normal previous uncertain and sheepish looking eyes.

I wonder if I've transfigured myself into a mechanical robot?

"What about her?" I ask him, my voice all stoic. Just as I'm feeling my entire demeanor and pose.

Yeah, all robotic.

"I-I'm . . . I'd been meaning to - Oh god!" he groaned in frustration, face-palming himself before he looks back at me with a confident face. "I wanted to court her." He said plainly, all serious.

I felt my heart frowned heavily, before plummeting and diving to my feet's, and stopped beating.

"Oh," Really, what a genius response. I deserve an Oscar Award.

"I- Oh god, Mione!" he moaned, before he buried his face in his hands, shaking his head in shame as I watched him, feeling like a statue. "I can't believe this!" he declared, sounding mortified. "I really should have thought this through. I mean, you're the one who has always helped me, and here I am, can't even go after the girl I clearly liked as hell!"

_Can't even go after the girl I clearly liked as hell..._

I gulped painfully, suddenly fighting against the growing stupid lump that have erupted in my Adam's apple.

_Please._ I pleaded pathetically to myself. _Not here. Not in front of him._

"It's OK," I hear myself say, but my voice sounded odd even to my own ears. Like an Alien. But - thankfully or maybe unfortunately - he didn't seem to notice. He simply shook his head in denial and moaned again. "It's natural."

Hearing my comment, his head lifted to look at me wearily.

"Really?"

I nodded.

"So, what do you think I should do?" He asked me, more like pleading.

"Ask her out." I deadpanned.

He simply stares at me as if I had grown a third head or something.

"Yeah, right." he said, giving me a funny look. "And Draco Malfoy is a sweetheart." He begins snickering at his own joke, and I rolled my eyes at him, all the while trying to smile a little.

Yet, failing in it all the same.

"Chocolate and flowers," I told him, and ignored his blunt questioning look which he gave me. "Girl's love those, try it."

And with that I turned to walk away, not waiting to hear his response in return.

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><p><strong>AN: How was it? I hope you'll like it**

**Leave a review, eagerly waiting for one. Thanks for reading it though.**

**Much love,**

**Adara Tanith**


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Complete!**

**Read and Reviewed and tell me if you love it? I hope you do.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't owe anything.**

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><p><strong>~*<span>3<span>*~**

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><p>Cold breeze of wind blew past me, as I slowly sauntered my way up to the Astronomy Tower. Twinkling lines of stars filled my line of vision just as I stepped up the last podium. Walking forward, I was mesmerized as I continue to gaze high up in the sky, forcing myself to forget about everything for just this once. Forget about the last past days.<p>

And forget about everything.

I mean . . .

The past days have been. . . miserable.

Because everywhere I look, the only thing I see is them.

Him.

Harry Potter.

"The Boy-Who-Conquered-The Dark-Lord." I whispered in the darkness, knowing no one is here to hear me.

_Not anymore._

I smirked darkly at this thought.

Which quickly melted into a pained one.

Looking back the few months, since the moment when The Chosen One had killed the Dark Lord; the whole world rejoiced at this news. Regardless of the pain, and the suffering, and the loss of our dear beloved ones - everyone took a deep breath of relief and profusely thanked the savior of our world of ending the reign of terror.

And the earth continues to rotate and revolve, as everybody moves on.

Everything gets back to normal. Well, as normal as you can restore the things which are not same anymore.

After a very sad funeral of every beloved people; Ron pulled me aside and simply said: "It won't work."

I simply nodded in understanding, not in the slightest bit distress because I knew it was the truth.

So, we separate, much to Mrs. Weasley dismal.

But it was quickly overlooked, because something has seemed to work for her in a rightful way.

Ginny and Harry Potter had reconciled, and everyone was happy.

Everyone... Except me.

I know, it's selfish. But it really isn't my fault. I mean, what could you do when you realized that the boy who you probably loved more than the life itself loved someone else?

So, I did the only thing I should have done ages ago.

I started to avoid him.

I know, I know. Not the smartest moves of all. But it really helped me.

Well, almost.

I only talked to him whenever absolutely necessary.

But other than that, I simply focused on going back to school, and finish my education at Hogwarts.

I sighed shakily, before I get on my knees and curled up in a ball. My gaze still trained up at the sky, gazing at the bright twinkling stars.

I mean, it's a really good move on my part. Aside from Ron, everyone is too busy in their own life's, doing whatever they suppose to do.

And it's fine by me. Spiffing even.

I mean . . . Who cares if I'm hopelessly in love with my best friend, and is dying a little inside whenever I saw him with the person he loves the most?

Really.

Aside from being his best friend, I'm nothing to him.

Nothing.

"Good," I said with a quiet nod at myself, and try to ignore the jolt of pain that seared through my chest, making me wince just in the slightest.

_As long he is happy, I'm fine with it._ I told myself firmly, and nod in confirmation.

"Talking to yourself, huh?"

Startled, I jumped quite a foot in the air before I whipped around to see a dark, tall figure emerging from the blanket of darkness.

_Oh my god._

"It's the first sign of being mental, do you know that?" Harry said softly, stepping in the soft glow of moonlight, and I resisted the urge to gasp out loud.

Beams of gray-white light bounce of his framed glasses as he slowly walked towards me.

"Oh, hey," I said weakly, my eyes hesitantly meeting his emerald green ones before hastily looking away. "Didn't see you there." I muttered in a low tone, suddenly nervous.

"Hey yourself," he said teasingly, before he lowered himself in the space beside me. I tried not to inch myself away from him, and held my ground.

"What are you doing in here?" I ask him, really not interested in knowing. I try to avoid and making any kind of eye contacts with him, and stubbornly stared ahead.

"I could ask you the same, you know?" he challenged me.

"Star gazing." I told him, my mouth blurting things out without even thinking. Before I rolled my eyes at my own stupidity.

_Way to go, Granger._ I scolded myself.

"Me too." He murmured from beside me, and I resisted the urge to throw him an irritated scowl.

We sat for a long period of moments, not saying anything. But inwardly, my brain was sensing a danger; my body was telling me to run away.

But from what, I don't know.

"Why are you avoiding me, Hermione?"

And suddenly, I knew why.

Shocked, I stiffened in my place.

_Play dumb._ My inner voice suggested.

"Avoiding?" I said in an incredulous tone, mock-disbelief coloring my tone. _Oh please, Harry._ I thought. _Call it as a mere ignorance._ _Psh._ "You? Are you crazy?" I snorted at my own joke.

"Hmm..." he hummed before he continued, "Maybe. You tell me." he said, his voice abruptly hard and icy.

Not wanting to have this conversation with him, I scramble from my spot, laughing nervously. "Yeah. Right." Was all I said, before I spin around to walk towards the exit. Desperate to avoid this confrontation at all cost.

And all the while, trying not to break into a run.

But it proves to be fatal for me, because I was abruptly frozen on the spot.

_Freezing charm._ I realized with a mounting horror and panic.

My heart rate skipped a beat, as a chill of fear ran down my spine when I felt him coming up from behind me. I tried to move my legs. Heck, I even tried to move my freaky lips, but no sound come out.

"Why?" A voice said in my right ear, its tone demanding and leaving no room for argument.

But I held my ground.

I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

But suddenly, I felt my legs go all jell-O and I fell down on my knees.

"Ouch!" I hissed when my knees hurt from the impact. But I was instantly aware of his presence behind my back.

"Tell me." He insisted.

"What?" I snap, wincing when I try to get up.

However, I find that it wasn't needed, because something grabbed my right elbow and yanked me up.

And flushed against him.

My mouth flew in shock, my eyes wide in surprise and alarm.

"Harry, what are you -"

He cut me off with his lips.

"I thought you were the smartest witches of all," he whispered when he slowly pulled back after a second, leaving me to gasp embarrassingly in front of him, thoroughly blushing. "You can't even see what kind of hoax, it was," he breathed a sharp bark of a laugh, his breath breezing across my lips and I shivered. "What I'd been trying for all these past months." He murmured, his lips brushing against mine with every word. My mind - which it was all dazed by his action - put it into a gear, and I pushed him away from me.

"W-what?" I stammered, breathless.

He stared at me as he closed the distance between us. But I only backed away.

"You really didn't see what I'd been doing all this time, didn't you?" he teases me, but the way his voice sounded; all husky and soft, with his eyes all dark and intense. They were making me all uncomfortable.

It was as if . . . as if his eyes were trying to tell me something. But what - I can't seem to understand.

But then, all the things started to click.

_Oh my god._ I thought to myself, overwhelmed.

"I know you have feelings for me," he said, and I try not to gasp at this, but ends up failing. He smirked as he continues to make his way over to me. "Don't hide it."

"What are... It's not -" I swallowed, hard.

_What the hell is going one with me?_ I screamed in my mind. _Speak Hermione! Goddamnit!_

But by the time I could even think of something, he had me cornered against the stony, cold wall of the astronomy tower, and was now towering above me. His arms coming to brace himself against it - caging me in.

"C'mon, Mione." He breathed, his eyes all soft and warm. "Say it already."

"Uh..." It was kind of hard when he was staring down at me like this. And with my mind going all offline on me._ Please, anybody, help._ I prayed inwardly.

"Yeah?" He probed gently, his eyes roaming all over my face with this raw emotion, that I felt like being X-rayed in front of me.

Feeling so exposed.

I only shake my head, averting my eyes and looking anywhere but at him.

But he only leans to pause an inch away from the lips, his gaze blazing.

And didn't wait for my response - or denial - before he lean to capture my lips softly in his. Again.

I jumped a little when I felt something warm sliding behind my back, and was lifting my shirt up before trailing a line over my exposed skin. While something warm touch the scalp of my head, before tenderly fisting them along with my brown tresses.

Hands.

His hands.

I gasped when I felt his teeth nibble tenderly on my upper lip, and my mouth open reflexively.

He kissed me thoroughly and so sweetly for full ten minutes before he reluctantly pulled away. His eyes grew darker with concern when he noticed the tears of happiness brimmed over and fall down my flushed cheeks.

"I love you," he said softly, "you don't know how much."

I stared up at him, mesmerized as he lifts his shaky hand to wipe the trailing tears down from my right cheek, murmuring, "And I'm so sorry." His face twisted, all contrite and pained seeing my tears. And being a love sick am I, I simply smiled, whispering: "It's alright."

But suddenly, something dawned on me and I stiffened once again.

"Do Ginny and Ron...?" I trailed off cautiously, frightened about what might be the answer.

And when he simply smirked down at me, I was in for a huge shock.

"That little tramp piece of -" I was so agitated that I couldn't even finish the sentence. But a light, warm stroke near my right backside make me jerk in his arms.

And looking up, I only flushed even more when I meet his almost hungry eyes.

"Say it," he ordered me now, and I sighed heavily.

"I love you." I hung my head in defeat before I look back up at him through my eyelashes, "Happy?"

He grinned, and answered me with a much heated, and passionate kiss; that it took my breath away.

_Yeah, really. He never knew what he does to me._

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><p><strong>AN: Yes! Did it! Took almost three hours to complete this whole story! Alright, so... Dated and completed on 10th of December.  
><strong>

**Hope you all like it. Review please.**

**Much love,**

**Adara Tanith**


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